Many shelves full of books have been written about prayer, why add more writing to that store of knowledge?
It is because of what I read recently in a small book by Wayne Jacobson called “He loves me….”. (Highly recommended reading material.)
Most of us are familiar with books that go to great length explaining how to “get “ God’s ear.
“The way to most effective prayer”.
“How to pray to make things happen”, on and on it goes.
Wayne takes us to the Gospel of John ch.12:27 and 28.
Jesus is sharing with his disciples that he is deeply troubled because very soon now he will face being sacrificed for sinners.
“What shall I say now, he says to the men around him, Father, save me from this hour ?”
“But, he says, that cannot be, because this is the very reason why I came in the first place”.
Instead he submits to his Father by saying:”Father, glorify your name”, (vs. 28).
Jesus has a choice here: He could pray a “save me” prayer or a “glorify your name” prayer.
Even though the consequences were terrifying, he chose the latter.
Hebr. 12:2 gives us a glimpse of his reasoning aside from the fact that obedience to his Father and his love for sinners were the deciding factors.
This passage shows us that Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was waiting for him beyond the cross. The eyes of Jesus could see beyond the agony of the cross: a chosen generation, a holy nation, a people who would bring glory to the name of his Father.
And it is no different for us, we too, are given a choice to pray “save” me prayers or as Jesus did, pray “glorify your name” prayers.
Our prayers for God’s help and blessings are mostly in the category of “save me” prayers.
Not forgetting that when we express our feelings, our emotions to our Father, it too brings glory to his name. It is his desire that we do this, that we commune with him.
The more we learn to trust our Father the more will our ‘glorify your name” prayers become more frequent.
When we listen to our own prayers, it is a way to evaluate our own spirituality.
“Father, glorify your name” those few words encompass all of our Christian life, everything we are, everything we have and ever hope to be: Father let your name be glorified.
This thought then also dominates the verses in Phil. 4, “Be not anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”.
Our Father knows everything we have need of, he even knows what we are about to ask him.
Therefore, we do not pray to make God aware of our needs and anxieties.
We also do not pray because we have been commanded to pray for our daily bread.
We pray because our Father would have us commune with him, that we share with him our daily concerns, our deepest desires and also our very ordinary observations as we live our everyday lives.
And when we sincerely pray “Father glorify your name” in me, that also is an admission that we desire to be in submission and harmony with his will and that we would also accept the consequences.
Trusting always that Father is good and loving and mercyfull.
And when we live everyday trusting our Father’s love and faithfulness, then we have no need to be commanded to thank him in all this, it will be a way of life, that will occur naturally.
That trust in our Father’s goodness will also allow us to pray: Father glorify your name in me. And he will begin to remove everything that is not yet holy in us.
He may begin to remove our self-made supports on which our self-esteem is build in order that he may become the foundation and pillars of our self-esteem.
It is then no longer self-esteem, it will be more properly called Christ-esteem, signifying our dependency on the life of Christ in us.
We must also remember that Father never promised that all this would not be painfull.
When we become aware of this process of the breaking of our will and desires, it is then that Psalm 23 takes on a whole new meaning.
I believe it was written for just such a time as that.
Our Father did not promise to save us from pain and suffering.
He did promise that he would be right there with us till the end of the age.
He is not standing on a windswept beach waiting for the ship of our lives to reach that shore.
No, he is in the ship with us and even though sometimes it looks like he is oblivious to our situation, he is there with us and that is sufficient.
There is no need to awaken him with an anxious cry : “Lord save me”, even though that might be exactly how we feel.
To acknowledge that he is there will calm the storm.
That inner knowledge in the midst of any storm will bring glory to his Name.
May our Father graciously make that of a greater reality in all of us.
St.Thomas, Jan./’09. Simon VanderKooy.
